China has raised silkworms and reeled silk for over 5,000 years; silk is among the most legendary inventions of ancient China, and the English word "silk" travelled the Silk Road around the world.
The craft chain: silkworms eat mulberry leaves, spin cocoons; the cocoons are reeled, woven and dyed into silk; a kilogram of cocoons yields roughly 300 metres of fabric.
The Silk Road: after Zhang Qian westward missions in the Han dynasty, Chinese silk moved through the Hexi Corridor and Central Asia to the Roman Empire - the route bears the name.
Famous products: Hangzhou silk, Suzhou Song brocade, Nanjing cloud brocade ("an inch of brocade, an inch of gold"), Sichuan brocade; Suzhou and Hunan embroidery add the finishing touch.
Experience: the China Silk Museum in Hangzhou and Suzhou Silk Museum show looms in action; tourist cities have silk studios where you can weave a small piece.
What to buy: scarves, sleepwear, qipaos, ties; look for the "100% silk" label - real silk has a soft lustre and good drape.
